American Racing Needs a Hero like Andy Murray

Watching Andy Murray become the first British man in 77 years to win Wimbledon yesterday brought a myriad of emotions. As a lifelong fan of tennis, I was both inspired and relieved by the accomplishment. Watching the universal outpouring of love and appreciation by the fans, members, and colleagues of Murray, towards the triumphant tennis star was nothing but joyful. I felt both thrilled for the hard working young man, as well as, a good feeling about the human race. I could not even imagine what it was like for a Brit. Forget tennis, forget sport, Murray is a national hero, a King among men. It struck me that this is exactly what American racing needs.

Currently we have a pair of glorious geldings that should be praised for their longevity and accomplishments. In Wise Dan and Game On Dude, American fans should have precisely what they want … a pair of grade 1 winning machines that come back and sustain their excellence year after year. At six-years-old, both seem to be in the form of their lives. Unfortunately, so many comments that I see come in on the duo, are not positive in nature.

“Wise Dan has never won at ten furlongs.” “His connections only run him in races beneath his stature.” “No wants to see Wise Dan run in another mile race on the grass.”

“Game On Dude just won another grade 1 allowance race.” “He can’t beat good horses outside of California.” “Game On Dude is the best of a bad bunch.”

If the pair could only read, it would be enough to give them an inferiority complex. It all makes me wonder if should Game On Dude win the Breeders’ Cup Classic, and Wise Dan wins another Breeders’ Cup Mile this year, in what creative ways the critics will choose to cut them down. You just know that wins in the World Championships will not be enough to make them American racing heroes. Or at least, not anywhere near universally so.

Go back a few years and you will remember a couple of very special ladies of American racing in Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra. In a word, both female runners were fantastic. Zenyatta racked up grade 1 wins in California like they were going out of style, all the while maintaining her perfect record right up until the end. Rachel Alexandra won races three-year-old fillies were not supposed to win and was as brilliant a filly as I’ve ever seen, and that includes Ruffian. Yet somehow, they were not enough for fans of racing. Zenyatta was belittled for her competition. Rachel’s reputation was smeared for her 5-2-3-0 record at four. And certainly both fantastic females were constantly cut down by the other fan base. It wasn’t pretty.

Why must we talk so poorly of these wonderful horses? Surely Andy Murray never experienced this kind of treatment before he finally broke through on the hallowed grounds of Wimbledon? Well, actually he did. It’s true, before winning the biggest of all tennis tournaments, and in his home nation, Murray was all too often the brunt of harsh criticism. Maybe it is only human nature.

Become the first British man in more than three-quarters of a century to raise the Wimbledon trophy, and the negativism falls away faster than a country can raise its collective arms in glorious triumph. Murray is now the man for breaking through an invisible, but all too tangible barrier.

Of course, American racing has the same type of holy grail. An achievement so magical that the sport will come to a stop for all to rejoice. When a horse finally wins the Triple Crown they will become universally loved. A true hero for us all to admire and praise. At least that is what I hope, because American racing needs a hero.

Older Comments about American Racing Needs a Hero like Andy Murray...

OTG- I'm not in this argument; those were just my two cents. Personally, Gallops, I enjoy your posts, all of them................except for this chilidish BS. I didn't even read most of your posts on this thread, I just got tired of them.

Honestly, I do not comprehend how this thread blew up, it seemed like a nice conversation until all this crap came up. I think Icy's post with 5 likes (including one from me) sums up my feelings. This is a stupid, petty argument that is absolutely worthless. I am with Sword on this one- when Euro Trash first came I had a strong feeling he was Footlick, but I didn't say anything for the exact reason Sword posted. I was really new when Footlick posted reguarly, I believe, but quite frankly Euro Trash's behavior and demeanor reminds me of Footlick. As for this topic; Tmallios hit it on the head. Excelebration's BC Mile and Animal Kingdom's Queen Anne was NOT indicative to their true ability. There are no double standards. In fact, Excelebration (as LAZ has calmly stated with many factual posts) BC Mile was a very solid performance. Animal Kingdom's Queen Anne was just garbage, not indicative of his immense talent, and basically a throw out race when looking back on his careers. Really, as fans, when we remember Excelebration, we think of his valient efforts to dethrone the unbeaten Frankel, not a "bad" effort in the Mile. When we, as fans, look back at Animal Kingdom's career, we remember his signature wins in the KY Derby and Dubai World Cup, his valient effort in the BC Mile, and his flexibility to all surfaces and distances. Why can't we just let it go? Quite frankly, the European posters are the only ones on here to my knowledge that are being bias to their horses, looking at this non-factually, and giving arrogant bull-shit that is hardly worth reading. I'd just let this float to the bottom of HRN; it's not worth arguing over. Just my two cents. BIG, BIG Kudos to Tmallios, LAZ, and Icy for posting their opinions calmly, factually, and trying to help these "men" regain some perspective.

More arrogant BS! If that's the case why aren't your soccer fields constructed the same way? Why are courses in other jurisdictions relatively flat? Maybe it would cost too much money to level a field.

Also Icy- a True Course...yes a true course. A course built according to the lay of the land. Do you ever see the undulations of our courses over here?. Did you think we built them like that?..no. We simply added to the landscape and constructed our rails on the course to follow the natural landscape. Did they build the course at Santa Anita on the natural landscape or did they customize the course to look like every other cookie cutter course?. All your courses in America are flat and oval. alll have 1 mile main dirt courses, with an inner turf course. Aside form that Downhill part of the course at SA. In europe you add to the landscape, in America they build the course from scratch. Flat,tight, and fast.

Icy- First off, how am I coming across as a Bully?, wow if you think I am bullying you then you are QUITE the sensitive being aren't you?. As for the Flag...lol. I could care less, I am not even british so whether it is the U.Jack, or flag of England your mentioning....have at it. The Irish Tricolour flies in my yard.

J'ai eu neuf ans du francais dans l'ecole et le lycee, and I can understand the humor shared by the brothers on Frazier, answer a few Jeopardy French questons( or is it answers, and little else, having not used it and therefore lost it, but in plain English this just gets weird. The famouis Jessie says to just espond to the thread subject. Good advice, although I veer all of the time, too. About any aliases. If people do that, and I have incorrectly and also correctly accused others of that practice, in my opinion, people resort to that when they feel that they are not being "heard". Or kids do that to be pains in the asses and amuse themselves. That's it. I'm with my cute boyfriend today. Go outside. Get some ice cream. Go swimming. Go to the track. Be nice to someone. clean something. lol.

Because you don't think I can face time with him? Or you don't think he could submit to an international juried exhibition? Or you don't think he visits Europe regularly? You know nothing about him. Tous les keums chelou ici. Pas de cecla

You are delusional and sad, icyhotboo. Footlick is a friend of mine, I don't deny that. I did not deny that when I came here and started posting. He taught me my English, as I spoke only a little when I met him. We met at a juried art show in Barcelona. We both had paintings exhibited. We meet every year or two eithe in Paris or Barcelona. He will not ever come on this site because of people like you. But, I am FaceTiming with him in aobut 10 hours so I will tell him all the flattering things you said about him. He will laugh. I have never put down your country, never made a derogatory comment about it or anybody from your country here. Only a coward does that hiding behind the internet. I feel sorry for you, living in some world where people make up aliases to post as different people on a website. Are people really that bored? Is that what this site is all about? Are there only a few people posting under many different names? That is the funniest thing I have heard yet on here. I could care less if you ever converse with me. I have been attacked because I defend European racing and horses and because I and some others on here do that we are told we are shoving Europe down people's throats. Tu es un keum zarbi qui est geudin sans cecla.

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Brian has been a passionate fan of horse racing since birth. Taken to the races at a very young age, he has been lucky enough to see all the greats in person from Secretariat, Forego, and Ruffian through Rachel Alexandra, Zenyatta, and American Pharoah.

Before coming to the Nation, Brian displayed his love for the sport through the development of his horse racing website, which quickly became one of the most popular blogs in the game. As Editor of Horse Racing Nation, Brian authors a daily column as Zipse at the Track, or ZATT for short, and adds his editorial flare to the overall content of the website. Brian also consults for leading contest site Derby Wars, and is a Vox Populi committee member. A horse owner and graduate of DePaul University, Brian lives just outside of Louisville with his wife Candice and daughter Kendra.